VIDEO: Westmead interns ready for the wards

The Merrylands resident started her medical internship at Westmead Hospital this week — the same place she was born.

She is one of a record 925 interns who started work across the state this week.

Dr Connolly, who completed a bachelor of medicine and surgery at the University of New South Wales, said she was excited but nervous about entering the wards.

"I want to be a good doctor," Dr Connolly said.

"I think the best doctors have skill and knowledge and they know how to apply it — plus they have a good bedside manner."

She plans to go into physicians training and possibly geriatrics.

The interns will spend a week of intensive training at the hospital before stepping onto the wards next week.

Watch our video about intern doctors participating in a practical workshop with a robot capable of reacting to their actions below:

The hospitals director of prevocational education and training Dr Andrew Baker said the week of training was essential as there was a profound difference between learning to be a medical student and learning to be an intern.

"The advice we give is that the internship is less about what you know and more about how effectively you can communicate and work with the team around you," Dr Baker said. "We try to tell them not to stress about whether they know enough — because that will come — but to work on their communication techniques and building up their network of people they can learn from."

The interns will complete five rotations with compulsory terms in medicine, surgery and emergency.